Israelis on Thursday marked 1,000 days since the October 7th, 2023 Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, calling on the government to establish a state commission of inquiry to investigate the events of the worst day in the country’s history. The memorial events began at 6.29am, the time of the start of the militant attack, at more than 50 memorial and protest hubs across the country. Protesters observed a one-minute silence and later in the day blocked the main Tel Aviv highway.The main rally was held on Thursday night at Tel Aviv’s Hostage square, the focal point for the struggle to release the captives during the Gaza war, since renamed Memorial square. Merav Savitzky, sister of Itay Savitzky who was abducted and murdered in captivity, addressed the gathering. “One thousand days and you learned nothing, but how could you learn when you continue to oppose a state commission of inquiry? And not only do you oppose investigating the truth, but you work non-stop to distort and whitewash the truth,” she said. Some 1,200 civilians and soldiers were killed when militants stormed into Israel across the Gaza border on October 7th, 2023, according to Israel. Militants also took 251 hostages to Gaza. Israel’s retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 people, according to the territory’s health ministry. A UN commission of inquiry says Israel has deliberately targeted children, resulting in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip. A ceasefire was agreed to between Israel and Hamas last October, but Israel has continued periodic bombing in the territory. Photograph: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Organisers vowed that the public “Will neither forget nor forgive.” Hosting hostage survivors at the presidential residence, president Yitzhak Herzog called the day “a milestone that reminds us of Israel’s ability to emerge from crisis and unimaginable pain – to remember and never forget.”Ayala Metzger, whose father-in-law was killed while in Hamas captivity, said that despite “the unimaginable suffering that we have gone through, we have received nothing but alienation, lies, incitement and desertion for 1,000 days. This desertion is manifested by attempts to cover up failures and create an alternative narrative that absolves [Israeli prime minister Binyamin] Netanyahu from responsibility.”Some of the demonstrators held signs with photos of hostages who were murdered in Hamas captivity. Others held signs that read: “It’s not over until it’s investigated. State commission of inquiry now!”A large majority of Israelis support the establishment of such a body to determine who was responsible for the failure to prevent the deadly attack. Leading generals and intelligence chiefs have already resigned but Netanyahu has refused to acknowledge personal responsibility, refusing to establish a state commission. He argues that the judiciary is biased against him and a commission appointed by the high court will inevitably seek to blame him with the aim of ending his political career.Instead, he is proposing a politically-appointed panel to probe the events of October 7th.